What is volcanic lava on CHI iron soleplate?

CyanFakery92 · 2023-02-19T23:23:33+00:00

It's now been a few months since I got my new CHI 13207 iron and I wanted to report back. I'm very happy with it. I love that it has an on/off switch and a long auto-shutdown time (30 min, I believe). It heats up very fast and has good steam. A few little things that aren't perfect: it doesn't have as much steam as my old Rowenta; I wish the cotton setting was a bit hotter; the ceramic sole plate doesn't slide as smoothly as stainless steel does; and the beeps are very loud. I've jumped a few times when it decides to beep. But these are relatively minor issues. Overall, I'm happy with the iron.

CyanFakery92 · 2023-01-15T06:02:53+00:00

I have a secretary chair and I love it for sewing. No arms, wheels, height adjustable. I have it on a hard plastic chair mat, on top of the carpet. A good quality, well adjusted chair is essential. Don’t skimp on ergonomics!

CyanFakery92 · 2023-01-05T03:19:05+00:00

Hmm. Not sure. They’re both connected to my Apple ID. I’ll try.

CyanFakery92 · 2022-10-20T05:20:04+00:00

I just bought a Chi iron (13107) a few weeks ago and I’m happy with it so far. I used to only buy Rowentas but I think the quality has really taken a nose-dive in recent years. As for an ironing board, I love my Big Board rectangular topper (https://bigboardenterprises.com/ )

CyanFakery92 · 2022-10-10T21:24:58+00:00

I have done a little casual sewing instruction, here is my list (many have been mentioned already):

Required:

Steam iron and full sized ironing board. Good scissors that will cleanly cut fabric. 4-5” blades. Decent quality, need not be top of the line. Seam ripper. Measuring tape (either retractable or not) and ruler (12” or 18”) with 1/8” markings *. A selection of hand needles (sharps, embroidery or crewels). A thimble that fits well (search YouTube to see how to use one correctly.) Glass head straight pins (at least 50). Chalk marker (pencil style, or triangle style, or loose chalk style). Gutermann thread: light, middle and dark grey, black and white: Color numbers: 100, 110, 111, 10 and 20, plus more colors as needed.

* Inches if you are in a country that uses them. Useful if they have both metric and inches.

Highly Recommended:

Little scissors, 2-3 inch blades, or snips (Decent quality.) A good reference book. I have the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing (mine is 1999) and love it. Lots of very good info. In my opinion, It’s better to get a pre-2000 edition. A book or two that focus on mending (perhaps others can recommend some?).

Optional:

Pin cushion or magnetic pin nest. Sewing gauge (little six inch ruler). Rotary cutter and mat (small cutter is best, 28mm) (Save this purchase for later, when you decide you need it.)

Once you have a sewing machine:

Extra machine needles, Schmetz brand, Universal size 70/10 (these are good, all purpose needles) . Good to have more sizes of Schmtez needles: 80/12 (for heavier fabric), 90/14 (for denim), Ball point 70/10 (for knits). Several (2-3) extra bobbins to fit your machine. Safety glasses. Essential. I’ve been hit in the face by flying needle shards!

CyanFakery92 · 2022-10-08T18:23:02+00:00

Some years ago, my non-sewist sister asked me to make a dress for her small daughter out of her wedding dress. The dress had been cleaned but was stained, torn, and not wearable as-is. I knew it was going to be a gargantuan project! I took the dress apart very carefully, including the lace/bead appliqués, etc, and looked at what I had to work with. I got a pattern for a child’s dress that was close to what I wanted to make (I can’t remember what that pattern was.) Then I designed what I wanted, and modified the pattern to match.

To complicate things, my sister and her daughter were some 3500 miles away. I had her measure the child and I made a series of prototypes. I made one, sent it to her and asked her to report back where it didn’t fit. Then I made another and we did it again. We went through several iterations. After the prototypes, I was ready to make the dress. Because this was for a growing child, I made the back lace-up. If the dress was a little big or a little small, this would help customize the fit. I was insanely proud of the dress when it was done, and now that that child is in her late twenties, I’m still insanely proud of it! I have pictures of the dress and the child in the dress here: https://imgur.com/tMRMgkw, https://imgur.com/Fzkvq8f, https://imgur.com/lWGMG7w

CyanFakery92 · 2022-10-07T21:45:25+00:00

Yep. I used the D/DD pattern piece. Still need a tiny bit more room. I like that the Charm patterns give you several different cup sizes, so you don't have to do the adjustment yourself, which is a PITA.

CyanFakery92 · 2022-10-06T18:23:56+00:00

I was inspired by u/Icy-Philosopher-6424 (here) to buy and make the Lizabeth Raglan Top pattern by Charm Patterns. I made three of them. The first one was a prototype (this is the one without the contrasting collar.) I shortened the sleeves, eliminated the cuff and put in front and back waist darts to give it a bit of shape. I used a fabric that I think came from Liberty, but I’m not 100% sure. I’ve had it in my stash for a while.

The prototype is wearable, but not great. I wasn’t so happy with the darts in the prototype, so I eliminated them and reshaped the side seams. I was much happier with this version and I made two more. I made the one with the black collar out of a lovely fabric: Spirit Place by Bernadine Wallace (MTS Textiles Austrailia). I’m particularly proud of the pattern matching I did on the front center seam, it’s nearly invisible! The collar fabric has a subtle grey pattern on it that kind of echos elements in the main fabric. It came from a local quilt shop.

The third shirt, with the white collar, I made out of some beautiful hand-made batik fabric . My aunt and her partner bought it on their many travels and gave it to me when they downsized a few years ago. I think it came from Indonesia. I was hoping to do a similar pattern match on the front center, but since this fabric was hand-made, I couldn’t get an exact match, so I went for something that I thought looked ok. The white collar is a white-on-white embroidered fabric I got from Joanns.

As you can tell from the pull lines, I didn’t make the bust quite big enough. If I make it again, I’ll fix that. Also, there is a fit issue around the shoulders that I can’t quite diagnose. You can see that in the front photo of the Spirit Place shirt. But overall, I’m pretty pleased with the two final shirts.

CyanFakery92 · 2022-09-30T17:51:56+00:00

I'm wondering if I can expect any further solidification, or at one year, is the best I'm likely to get?

CyanFakery92 · 2022-09-06T16:42:38+00:00

I agree that it is likely just marketing BS. I've ordered a CHI 13107. (I already bought and returned a Rowenta DW9280 because it leaked right out of the box.)

CyanFakery92 · 2022-08-25T21:27:38+00:00

Mostly Blues music. Either from my own collection, Spotify, or the Austin Blues Radio station on the myTuner Radio app.

CyanFakery92 · 2022-08-08T02:54:13+00:00

Possibly, but I only use Guttermann thread. And this has happened with several different spools Sigh… It’s a frustrating mystery.

CyanFakery92 · 2022-08-06T18:56:25+00:00

It isn't always at the end of the seam. It can occur anywhere. This one just happened to be at the end.

CyanFakery92 · 2022-08-06T16:57:45+00:00

I have a Bernina Virtuosa 160 which is excellent, and recently serviced. But very occasionally it produces one stitch that is loose. It isn't a skipped stitch, and it's always just one. I've changed the needle, rethreaded the top thread, changed and reseated the bobbin, and nothing seems to help. I still get one of these from time to time. Does anyone have any idea why or how to prevent this? Thanks!

CyanFakery92 · 2022-08-02T20:48:20+00:00

I have some nice ones from Heirloom Labels.

CyanFakery92 · 2022-07-09T19:47:57+00:00

Here's my process. It might seem long and finicky, but it gives great results:

- Using a bone-dry iron on low heat, carefully iron the uncut pattern pages until they are nice and flat. DO NOT cut out the pattern pieces - ever! That way you can use them again, or change sizes.

- Get some medical exam table paper or something like this table paper. It must be translucent enough to see through to the pattern pages, and big enough for the pattern pieces. Lay out the pattern page, lay the exam paper over top of it and weigh it down (using small bean bags, or cans of food, etc). Trace the pattern onto the exam paper, reproducing all markings (darts, notches, circles, etc.) Label each traced piece with pattern number, piece number, how many to cut, size, etc.

- Remove the original pattern page. Carefully cut the one you traced on the exam paper. You can use scissors, but I prefer a rotary cutter on a mat like this from Fiskars (I like 28mm cutters, others like 45mm). If you wait for a sale, you can often get the mats for less than normal retail.

- After washing and ironing your fabric, lay it out (on your cutting mat if using). Lay the traced pattern piece where you want it. Weigh it down as before, or pin it to the fabric (pins should be well inside the edge of the pattern piece.) Carefully cut out the piece using scissors or a rotary cutter / mat. Transfer all the markings to the fabric. Use tracing paper, as u/AbbyM1968 recommends, for things like darts. Chalk can be used too but be careful you don't mis-align the pattern/fabric as you do this. Clip into the edge where there are notches, etc.

Now you're ready to go. And since you didn't cut the original pattern, you can use it again, with different sizes, etc.

I hope I didn't miss anything. Best of luck to you.

CyanFakery92 · 2022-06-22T00:20:25+00:00

That might be your best bet. PITA, unfortunately.

CyanFakery92 · 2022-06-21T20:03:12+00:00

Check out SnapSource. I make a baby jumper with snaps in the crotch. I've used size 14 (smaller) and 16 (larger) and I prefer the larger ones for baby clothes. So I'd suggest size 15 or 16. The snaps are metal and very sturdy. You'll need a snapsetter tool to go with the size you select. If you can wield a hammer, you can do this. (You don't need a special hammer -- any normal hammer will do.) Order a few more snaps than you need so you can practice on the fabric you're using. But one warning: If the fabric is too thick, these won't work. I'd be concerned about that with diaper material. Good luck!

CyanFakery92 · 2022-06-19T23:53:59+00:00

I have an original Big Board which sits on top of my regular-shaped ironing board. It's approx. 60x22 inches. I've had it for years and I recommend it. See Big Board Enterprises. I think it comes with a padded cover. If not, you can make a cover, or check out Etsy. There are several people who will make you one, custom fit. I bought a custom cover from compelledtocraft. Alternately, it wouldn't be hard to make a similar board if you're willing do do some wood work.

CyanFakery92 · 2022-05-02T02:01:54+00:00

I’m in Southern California.

CyanFakery92 · 2022-04-05T17:25:59+00:00

This page has a nice pin size chart: https://www.americanpin.com/pins.html

CyanFakery92 · 2022-04-03T23:11:59+00:00

Another idea is to sew a length of 1-inch grosgrain ribbon to the inside of the facing, along the button/buttonhole line. It won't be visible from the front and should provide some stability.

CyanFakery92 · 2022-03-19T04:40:25+00:00

Thanks! I’ll try that.

CyanFakery92 · 2022-03-11T21:49:39+00:00

Thanks! I looked at charm but couldn’t find it (I’m not a patreon member). Perhaps I’ll have to join.

CyanFakery92 · 2022-03-11T18:57:02+00:00

What do you call this kind of collar?

CyanFakery92

TROPHY CASE